The Edge of Collapse
by ThreeBlindMice
Summary: With Sinnoh under lockdown after the reigning Champion Cynthia takes complete control of the government and her erratic and destructive behavior leading many to believe that she intends to lead the region into disaster, a new kind of Gym Challenge emerges. One where Pokémon fight until one is erased from existence. One where losing a battle means losing everything. More info inside
1. Prologue: Twin Leaves

**A/N: There are a few things you need to know about this fic. Firstly, I will be taking elements from the game, Pokémon Pearl, itself with few, if any, additions from the anime. Secondly, it is loosely based upon my second and harder Nuzlocke play-through of this game. Thirdly, while I've tried to utilize more realistic commands in terms of moves and less pointed descriptions for abilities and the like, it is far easier to just make a character say "Water Gun," instead of saying "shoot water at the enemy," or some other, similar, thing. Finally, I'm notorious for starting projects that I can't finish… but we'll see.**

**The rules for the Nuzlocke I did were the standard ones, first, with fainting equating to death and only the first meet on the route being caught. I am engaging Dupes Clause here, so whenever a third Pokémon that isn't a new one on a new route shows up, I can no longer catch any Pokémon on that route. In addition, I'm not allowed to catch legendaries, except for one, for plot reasons. All others must be defeated. I cannot grind beyond two levels of the Gym Leader's strongest Pokémon to keep things at least moderately tense. The battles are on a "Set" setting, naturally, to make things harder. There is no bullshit clause here. Items may not be used in battle except for during the E4, because that would be too cruel. Trade evolutions are allowed so that Machoke, Haunter, Graveler, and the like don't become totally useless later on.**

**Without further ado, let's begin.**

It was a cold and cloudy day when the world as Lucas knew it fell apart. A fairly normal one in the sleepy world of his hometown.

Twinleaf Town was a quiet place. There was little excitement except for the occasional festival, but that was how many of the residents liked it. That's how Lucas liked it. Despite Barry's constant attempts to create some sort of upheaval that would bring some of the rush of the big cities into their lives, the town remained stubborn in its ways.

The black-haired child believed that if anything was permanent in this world, it was the calm of Twinleaf Town.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

"Lucas, c'moooon! Wake up!" an indignant voice whined above the child's bed. "I'm giving you ten-no, five minutes to get dressed and get going! It's already six in the morning!"

Rolling over while trying to bat away his friend, Lucas desperately tried to stay within the warm confines of the dream-world. 'We barely slept last night. All Barry wanted to do was play Super Smash Bros on the Wii…'

"Ugh," the impatient blond grunted. "If you don't get up, I'll eat your breakfast! Do you hear me? Your _breakfast!"_

Sitting up sleepily, the boy with closely cut black hair grumbled in response, rubbing his eyes sluggishly. "W-ah's goin' on?" he muttered? "Breakfast is ready at six in the morning? Mom's up?

Realizing his small blunder, Barry scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Not quite what I meant by that, but at least you're up. C'mon. I have something I want to do." The blond, and extremely thin, child bounced up, grabbing his belongings while his best friend ever so slowly dressed in reasonable clothes for an early morning in the summer. Tapping his foot impatiently, Barry glanced over the all too familiar room.

While fairly plain, there were a smattering of posters lining the wall depicting various famous Trainers such as the current Champion of the Sinnoh region, the acclaimed Cynthia. So as not to offend his best friend, Lucas had noticeably left out the Tower Tycoon Palmer from these. A sizeable television was set up near one of the walls, with a well-used Wii attached, and a small desk with an even smaller computer was set up in the corner. Less busy than he would've liked, but there was nothing for it.

"Alright," the black-haired boy finally said, pulling on his cap. "I'm ready. What was it you wanted to do so early?"

Grinning in delight, Barry grabbed Lucas and thrust him into a headlock with the crook of his elbow. "C'mon! Put a bit more enthusiasm into it!" he shouted, totally oblivious of the racket he was making. "You know that show we watched last night before cracking into the Wii? Yeah… the Mystery of the Lake of something-or-other? Rave? Rouge?"

"It's the Lake of Rage," Lucas responded uncomfortably, pulling himself out of the lock. "The show's garbage, though. They didn't even find a Gyarados that whole time. Mom told me they over-hype stuff like that on purpose."

"Pffffft," his blond friend mocks. "So they didn't find it. Whatever, you know? There have been, like, a ton of reports over there of that red Gyarados. But here's where I got thinking… maybe our lake has something similar? I want you to check it out with me."

Lucas scrunched his forehead in concern. "I don't know… it doesn't sound very safe. And what about the tall grass? A wild Pokémon could attack if we aren't-"

"Tall grass? Are you kidding me? That's gonna stop you? We'll go around or something! C'mon!" Barry hopped towards the stairs, rushing down and towards the door in a flash. Sighing in resignation, the six year-old Lucas followed suit. Just as he was about to leave the house, Barry rushed back inside, slamming into him and knocking them both over. Chuckling in embarrassment, he dusted himself off.

"Forgot my coat. What's up with it being so cold in the summer?" he explained, hopping on his heels all the while. "Here, take yours, too," he said, tossing a jacket over to his buddy. "Now hurry up, already! We need to get going!"

"Fine, fine," Lucas waved off his friend, stepping outside the door. In such a secure and peaceful neighborhood, robbery was unheard of. No one would have the nerve to rob a resident. It was almost considered impolite to lock a door. As if you didn't trust everyone else.

The pair jogged past houses of varying sizes and shapes, but they didn't once stop despite Lucas' protests for a rest every now and then. After about ten minutes, they had reached the edge of Twinleaf Town and were about to enter Route 201 when they were stopped by an elderly, but certainly intimidating looking, man. He gruffly grabbed their shoulders and looked at both of them in the eyes.

"Exactly what are you two doing so early in the morning? Where is your mother, Lucas?" he questioned, a stern gaze fixated on the squirming child.

"Well..." the boy trailed off. "Uh, Barry made me!"

"Wait, what?! Did not!" the other boy protested.

"Did, too! We wouldn't be here if you hadn't-"

The withering gaze shifted. "Neither of you answered my question. Exactly what do you think you're doing here on the outskirts of town at this ungodly hour? Your mother would be ashamed of you both, Lucas. This is deplorable behavior on your parts."

"We're sorry, Professor…" the two apologized, staring at their shoes. Barry quickly recovered from this slump, glancing back up at the aged man excitedly.

"We were going to check out Lake Verity for a rare Pokemon like at the Lake of Rage. If there's something as rare as a red Gyarados in some random lake in Kanto, who knows what could be in ours?" Barry explained hastily.

"Oh?" the Pokémon Professor responded, raising his bushy eyebrows at the child's eager interest. "You were going to seek out Lake Verity's Mesprit? Both of you realize that it has never been seen within my lifetime and will likely remain hidden within yours, if it even exists anymore?"

"Mesprit?" Lucas questioned as the three began to walk in the direction of the lake, Professor Rowan accompanying them. "What's a Mesprit, Professor?"

"Of course the two of you wouldn't know, my apologies. Mesprit is the ancient name of the being that was said to have taken residence within Lake Verity. It is also known as the being of emotion, having supposedly given us sorrow, joy, love, and similar such things. It's one of the few reasons this town is still here, what with the tourist business it receives and all," the elderly man explains. "The other two lake spirits which are referenced in the ancient texts are Uxie, the being of intelligence, and Azelf, the being of willpower, at Lake Acuity and Lake Valor respectively. The three of them balance either the being of space, Palkia, or the being of time, Dialga. Mesprit is even said to guard Sandgem Town, Twinleaf Town, Canalave City, Jublife City, and the surrounding area from disaster. This is all just legend, of course, but it can be rather comforting to know that you're being watched over, I suppose."

"That just sounds creepy," Barry finally speaks up after having sulked for the Professor's whole monologue over his friend's utter betrayal. "And why hasn't it shown up by now? I'm sure there have been plenty of heinous crimes in the bigger cities, right? Isn't it supposed to 'guard' us like you said?"

The Professor simply shrugged. "It's a legend. This doesn't necessarily mean that it's true."

"What about Santa Claus? He's a legend, right? Is he real?" Lucas questioned innocently.

"Well, ah-"

The trio were thrown forward by the force of a sudden blast within Twinleaf, effectively cutting off Professor Rowan's tentative and awkward explanation of how it was best for his mother to answer that. After a moment, Lucas groggily rises, glancing at his companions. The elderly and white-haired man had been knocked out after hitting his head against a few small rocks and his blond friend had been thrown against a nearby tree. The two were in no position to move.

Looking back to the source of the blast, the child stared at a distant figure supported by some sort of flying Pokémon between the trees leading back to Twinleaf Town. Suddenly seized by panic, Lucas sprints back towards his home as fast as his puny legs can carry him. Bristly branches whipped past him, scraping his exposed skin thoroughly, but he paid this no mind. The only thing in his young mind was the question of just what had happened. A blast so strong that it could toss them around when they had been so far away from the target of whatever it was that caused it scared him-no, it terrified his seven year old mind.

'Please let her be okay! Please, please, please, please-'

When he rounded the corner into Twinleaf Town, he was greeted by smoking rubble, a massive Gyarados in a nearby lake, a Tyranitar waltzing around while searching through the blackened remains of buildings, a Garchomp stomping on the few areas that had been relatively unaffected by the initial attack, and an imposing Pokémon Trainer poised upon a Drifblim.

Crying out in disbelief, the black-haired boy fell to his knees, desperate tears leaking from his eyes. Noticing the noise, the Garchomp lifted its head to its Trainer and roared in alarm.

"Oh? Someone survived the barrage?" a surprisingly feminine voice called from above as the Drifblim lowered her to the ground. After landing lightly, she advanced, her head cocked and blonde locks trailing. "Some kid, huh?" she said to herself, lifting his face roughly to look him in the eye. "Ugh, it couldn't have been Palmer's kid, could it? Of course not. Useless." Shoving him backwards, Lucas was sent tumbling into the dirt as Cynthia drew two Poké Balls from her waist and tossed them forward. "Get out here, Lucario and Roserade." In a flash of light, the two emerged, the former looking enraged while the latter seemed full of what could best be expressed as sorrow. Cynthia glared at the two of them, gray eyes glowing. "Both of you _will_ obey me, do you understand?"

Near immediately, the duo sharpened into attention.

The blonde Champion grinned in satisfaction. "Perfect. Lucario, assist Tyranitar and Garchomp in demolishing the rest of this town and disposing of anyone who managed to make it out alive. If you find Palmer's kid, bring him to me. I may have some use for him. Roserade, feel free to take out this trash over here," she ordered, gesturing to the near comatose child lying on the ground in a fetal position.

The two set out on their tasks without as much as a peep.

The Roserade loomed above Lucas, glaring at him with eyes that seemed glazed over, as if the owner of the body was no longer present. Her two rose bushes came together, slowly forming a massive ball of green energy which roiled within a thin membrane. Raising it above her head, the ball of energy reached its maximum size and power. Bringing the two down in the direction of Lucas, the ball began to rush towards the boy before colliding in a cloud of dust.

Floating before the child was a pink figure with a furious expression. Twin jewels adorned its twin tails and a single, pulsating jewel decorated its creased forehead. Twin intense yellow eyes glared at the black-haired child's former hero. Lucas could practically feel the aura of majesty and power that this being exuded.

Noticing the disturbance, Cynthia turned just in time to avoid the Roserade hurtling at her, knocked out cold. "Finally, you decide to show yourself, Mesprit! Garchomp and Lucario, capture it before it gets away!" she shouts, smiling ferally as she returns her fainted Pokémon to its Poké Ball.

The lake spirit turns briefly to its black-haired charge, lifting him from the ground and setting him on his feet.

'_Run_,' it whispers in the back of his mind, commanding him to get away. His shaking body complies, forcing his grieving mind to take control and move away from danger. As he streaks down the way he had come, back to his companions, an utter emptiness fills him up, the sounds of battle resounding in the air.

'How could this have ever happened?'

**A/N: That's it for now. If you enjoyed, feel free to leave a favorite or review.**


	2. Preparations for a Journey

**A/N: Continuing on with the last chapter. I believe I forgot to post a disclaimer, although I'm not sure if it's entirely necessary, what with this place's status as a fanfiction site.**

Ten years had passed since that fateful day. Ten years since Twinleaf Town, half of Snowpoint City, and most of Pastoria City had been obliterated with the power of Cynthia's Pokémon. Beasts ranging from a Gyarados and Tyranitar down to a Spiritomb and Machamp had ravaged the streets of these places, summoning forth the guardians from nearby lakes. Mesprit had been captured easily, as Twinleaf was the first to go and it had had no warning. Uxie and Azelf, however, had put up a strong fight to the point where it was rumored that they had been able to mortally wound her Crobat and Togekiss as well as nearly killing her signature and strongest Pokémon, Garchomp.

In the end, however, all three were collected and kept for more than a month before being released back into the lakes with a public ceremony. Since then, the entirety of Sinnoh had been subjected to a system that had been labelled the "Mind Watch." Near immediately, people accused as terrorists, several of them acclaimed Gym Leaders, had been rooted out among the populace as those "seriously considering rebellion against the state." Every single one confessed that they had, in fact, been in contact with some of the others and had been attempting to plan some sort of upheaval due to the outrageous acts perpetrated by Cynthia with no interference by the rest of the Sinnoh Pokémon League. In a public statement, Cynthia had declared that the thoughts of all citizens would then be watched for signs of treasonous activity. The methods of this were unknown, but many were too scared of it to even consider rebelling against our Pokémon Champion's iron rule, so I suppose it has served its purpose.

The international community, of course, had leapt upon this tyranny like sharks to blood and had protested against her actions. Cynthia, in all honesty, couldn't have cared less until an announcement was made that the joint Kantonese-Johtonese Pokémon League would support any and all attempts at overthrowing her regime with supplies and money. Within that very day, international broadcasts were blocked.

During that year, a new Gym Challenge had been set up to allow anyone who wished to have a shot at Cynthia a chance, officially. There were only a few simple rules that one had to follow. First and foremost, one had to be at least 16 years of age to attempt it. Secondly, they must have chosen out of three specific starter Pokémon to begin their journey. Thirdly, only the first Pokémon encountered on each Route could become a companion. Any attempts to catch other Pokémon would fail, as the newly issued Poké Balls would refuse to work. Fourthly, all battling had to be done to the death, although switch-outs are allowed in these matches. Fifthly, healing items of any kind couldn't be used within official battles, although the exception is during a match with the Elite Four or Cynthia herself. Finally, anyone found in the possession of an extremely rare or otherwise "legendary" Pokémon would be put to death swiftly and without trial.

In addition to all of this, if a challenger were to fail at any point in time, which would equate to losing all of their Pokémon, they would be stripped of all rights as a citizen of Sinnoh and could not be employed by anyone. Their status as a failed challenger would become part of the public record.

Many, consumed by their hatred for Cynthia, took this path to attempt their revenge. Most lost on their first or second Gym battle and were sent away to become little more than beggars. Others made it past a few Gyms and then failed spectacularly at some point. A select few managed to get to the final Gym, the newly appointed Volkner's Electric type Gym in Sunnyshore City, but he crushed nearly every challenger with ease. Exactly twenty of those that have taken the challenge since its origin had made it past Volkner, three of which were able to make it past Victory Road and into the Sinnoh Pokémon League Building. The others were never found.

Of those three, one was barely beaten by the former Dragon type specialist Drasna of the Elite Four, who retired shortly afterwards. She was replaced by Aaron the Bug type specialist, and he crushed the second challenger brutally on a television program broadcasted throughout Sinnoh. The third, and final, challenger had defeated Aaron cleanly, had beaten Bertha the Ground type specialist with only one loss, had gotten past Flint the Fire type specialist with two more losses, and had finally succumbed to Lucian the Psychic type specialist. His achievement was noted before he was sent away as all the others had been. He was Palmer's brother and Barry's uncle, but he disappeared from the public radar after his defeat. We never heard from him again.

The Tower Tycoon himself vanished from the face of the earth. He never contacted Barry, and no explanation was given for his absence and the shutdown of the Battle Tower. It seemed as if everyone simply forgot the great trainer's existence… and he ceased to be.

Not one challenger had been able to reach Cynthia.

Lately, Gym Challenges have died down due to the low success rates. Many have attempted to attain office in the hastily structured Parliament that, set up by Lucian and Flint, to change things from the inside, but the Parliament was little more than a front put up by Cynthia and her cronies to make it seem like things were still the same as before, back when democracy existed and it wasn't a dog-eat-dog world. The ministers there were powerless, only able "advise" Cynthia on matters. Of course, she paid them no heed. As the strongest trainer within the Sinnoh region, she could do whatever she wanted whenever she wanted.

And that's exactly what she did.

Her own personal police force, the "Ace Trainers," were set up all around the country, constantly bullying passing Trainers. Whether they were on the Challenge or not, it didn't matter. If they challenged you to a battle, you had to accept or be faced with the wrath associated with resisting authority. If you lost and were on the Challenge, standard protocol would be followed and you would lose everything you held dear. Even if you won, many of the "Ace Trainers" would lie about the very results of the battle. As they were the law, in essence, whatever they said went.

Honestly, none of this mattered to Lucas.

What did matter to him was that it had been a full year since he had become eligible for the Challenge and the dear Professor Rowan had kept him from what he knew was meant to be. The Professor had resisted and resisted, desperate to keep him safe in Sandgem Town in some misguided belief that that would atone for the fact that he had survived when he was supposed to be in Twinleaf Town on an errand while Lucas' mother had not. He believed that he was keeping to her wishes by confining him here and having him help him with lab work, but to Lucas, at least, he was wrong. By preventing him from avenging the deaths of a whole town, he was desecrating her memory, in the black-haired boy's mind.

Finally both Barry and he had convinced the Professor that it was time and that they were ready, but in the end it was the threat of the two leaving and striking out on their own regardless of his blessing that had brought him around, with the condition that Dawn accompany them in their journey.

The stunning daughter of one of Professor Rowan's old lab aids, she had lived with the two friends since the destruction of Twinleaf Town. Her father, having gone ahead of the Professor to gather the needed supplies that had brought Professor Rowan to the sleepy town in the first place, was caught in the rampage of Cynthia's beastly Pokémon. She was in a similar position as Lucas and Barry, and the trio had appreciated the fact that they all shared the same sense of loss.

Absorbed in his own thoughts, the brooding boy didn't even notice his friends' approach, despite the fact that they were doing nothing to hide their presence from him. When he finally did notice, the other two were nearly on top of him and had started in surprise, so enveloped in their own conversation they were.

"L-Lucas! What are you doing here?" Dawn exclaimed, eyes wide at the sight of her complicated companion's presence in such a secluded area. "It's in the middle of the day! I thought you'd be back at the lab, looking over the starters or something-"

"Yo, Lucas… can I talk to you for a minute?" Barry questioned, cutting Dawn off and shifting nervously from foot to foot.

Shrugging in resignation, he rose from his seat on the beach of Sandgem Town and walked a few yards away towards his hyper-active friend, who at this point was tapping his foot.

"I know what I said about how the three of us are going to take the Challenge together and all…" he trailed off, searching his life-long friend's eyes for some sort of response. "But revisions to the rules have been made in the last week so that no challenger can travel with another. At this point, neither Dawn or Professor Rowan were going to let us go, but I made a promise in your stead at that point-"

"Where was I when you three had this discussion?" Lucas interrupted angrily, his fists clenched. "What kind of job was I doing that you couldn't call me in to add my voice to the discussion?"

"There was no time, and I kind of just, like, spoke, you know?" he placated hastily. "I had no clue where you were, but I think you'll like the compromise we've reached with Professor Rowan. Alright?" he questioned, stopping for affirmation that he could continue. At his companion's irritated nod, he grinned. "The Professor's going to let us go under the condition that we each take one of his remaining PokéDexs and collect information on the Lake Guardian trio and their health since Cynthia released them. I mean, she only had them for, what, a month or two? Something like that? Since then, no one has witnessed an appearance, but the Professor thinks that there might be something seriously wrong with them. He can also keep an eye on us through the PokéDexs, or something like that. I didn't really understand all of it."

Lucas hissed in anger. "Why didn't Rowan tell me about this? Does he have any idea what he's saying? If someone were to find us with those-"

"He knows it's highly illegal and that it could end our Challenge, not to mention landing us an execution, but he's willing to take that risk. Not like it's going to matter if we can't beat a few Gyms, right?" he responded, smirking. "Besides, it'll put the Professor at ease. As for why he didn't let you know, I asked both Dawn and him to keep quiet about it. I wanted to be the one to tell you. You still up for this?"

"Of course," the black-haired boy affirmed somewhat skeptically. 'Seems rather counter-productive, saying that he wants to protect us by keeping us here or sending us off on a dangerous trip with a highly illegal item. After all, they've been banned since the beginning of the regime.'

"-besides," Barry continued whatever he was saying, despite Lucas' obvious inattention. "It isn't like they can stop us from meeting up or something. We can check in on each other, right, Dawn?"

The raven-haired girl glanced up from polishing her glasses. Propping them on her nose, she adjusted the lenses so that she could get a good look at the duo. "Within reason, of course. Every other town or something should be fine, but any more than that and they might decide it's worthwhile to intervene." Dawn rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Jublife should be alright, if only because it's so massive it would seem natural that we would bump into each other, in addition to the presence of the Trainer School. Oreburgh's going to be fine as well because of its status as the city for the first Gym Badge. The rest I'm not so sure about."

Barry huffed, clearly not enthused by their female friend's answer, although he was attempting to hide it. "What a bummer, man. I mean, who comes up with these crazy rules, and only a week before we leave?"

"As long as we can take the Challenge, it doesn't matter if we travel together," Lucas responded severely. Glancing at the sky, he noticed the ominous gathering of clouds that had gathered without his notice. "We should head back to the lab. Looks like it's going to rain soon."

* * *

The Pokémon Professor renowned for his studies of evolution and the ancient myths of Sinnoh stood above the three starter Pokémon who were to be divided among his charges. A hardy looking Piplup stared at the downpour out the window, looking almost wistful to be in his element. Sitting next to her, a seemingly brave, or perhaps just foolish, Turtwig was glaring daggers at a somewhat subdued Chimchar some distance away. Despite the Pokémon's type disadvantage, the Chimchar had been forced to become party to several brawls between the two. While the Turtwig had yet to win, it clearly viewed its rather docile Fire type companion as a fierce rival.

Turning at the sound of quick-paced footsteps, the Professor sighed. 'At least they made it back without getting too wet, hopefully.' He frowned, his bushy white eyebrows furrowing. "Drop your shoes off at the door. No need to soak the carpet.

"Yes sir," two voices responded immediately, which he could only assume belonged to Dawn and Barry. Lucas barely responded to him anymore, not since he had denied him entrance into the Gym Challenge on his 16th birthday. It was saddening to think about, he supposed, but there was nothing for it. None of the three had been ready then, and despite the fact that they still weren't he wasn't going to be able to stop them this time around.

Turning to the sopping wet trio, he started in surprise before coughing into his lab coat's arm, regaining composure. "Dress yourselves appropriately for dinner. I need to have a word with all of you before tomorrow, do you understand?"

"Of course, Professor," Dawn responded immediately, tossing her beanie and coat into a nearby laundry basket, gesturing Barry and Lucas to follow suit while racing up the stairs. The blond-haired boy soon did, tugging along his best friend, who reluctantly came along, glancing at the growing tension between the Turtwig and Chimchar on his way out.

'I still can't believe I'm allowing this. Mere children, on the Challenge? I've done my best to prepare them, but they're certainly not ready…' he thought, rubbing his forehead in doubt. 'At least they'll have one of these three to accompany them, I suppose, but it won't be enough for long…' Staring at the downpour once again, he stretches on shoulder in unease. 'I've tried to follow your instructions, Palmer, dotting every "I" and crossing every "T" I could find, but I just don't know. They exhibit the necessary traits to bond with them, but will it really be possible? Especially with Lucian's Alakazam keeping watch on nearly everyone in the region… I just don't know anymore.'

'_You have begun to doubt, Rowan. Why?' _a voice whispers authoritatively from the back of his mind, causing the Professor to start before closing his eyes in concentration.

'You again.'

'_Yes, dear friend. It is I, again.'_

'Dear friend? You claim to be so, but how can I know for sure? For all I know, you could be one of that damned Lucian's Psychics attempting to manipulate me.'

'_The current situation has, understandably, set you on edge. You've become rather paranoid.'_

'Alertness has saved me more times than I can count from surprise inspections by those "Ace Trainers" of Cynthia's and wild Pokémon in wilderness excursions. As one good friend once told me, you're only paranoid if whatever you're scared of isn't there.'

_'Wise words. Perhaps I will use that saying myself. Just remember, this plan will work if you stick to it. All will be well. I shall leave you in-'_

'Wait! You've never said who you are, and I must know before I send three children off to their potential deaths. I once believed you to be Palmer's ghost, but I have since ruled that out when I discovered his current status. Afterwards, I believed you to be Mesprit or one of the other lake spirits, but you have never explicitly said so. One with good intentions would have told me, especially if they were a well-known Lake Guardian… which begs the question; exactly who or _what_ are you?'

The only response he received was the blank silence of his mind accompanied by the concerned chirp of the Piplup next to him. Shaking himself from these thoughts, he gathered the three into their separate pens, safe from the downpour outside and warm enough that they would be comfortable for the night.

'I hope I'm doing the right thing here. Years ago, I might have been skeptical of some voice in my mind commanding me into a task, but at this point? Any chance is better than none at all…' the Chimchar tugged at Rowan's pant leg, thirsty for some of the water he was holding in his hand. Coming back to reality once more, the Professor filled the water bowl, whispered goodnight to the three promising Pokémon, and walked briskly back to the warmth of the house for the night, where he would barely sleep, so occupied by his thoughts.

* * *

"Lucas, c'mon, man! Wake up! It's already six thirty in the morning and we need to get going!" Barry yelled, shaking his sullen best friend violently. "You've got to be kidding me! You chose this day to sleep in? Come _on!_" With that, the blond-haired boy rolled Lucas over the edge of his own bed, sending him crashing into the ground with crash and a few choice curses.

"Sweet _Arceus_, Barry! What are you _doing_?!" Lucas shouted, rubbing the back of his head in pain.

"Yo, like, keep it down. You might wake up the Professor or Dawn, man," Barry chided quietly, unaware that he had been speaking rather loudly only moments beforehand. "I wanted to talk to you about which one you wanted to pick, you cool with that?"

"Not like I'm gonna fall asleep at this point, anyways," grumbled the soon-to-be Trainer. Settling into a crisscrossed position, he stared Barry in the eyes with a glare. "I intend to choose Chimchar. With its superior speed and reasonable strength, I should have no problem wiping my opponents. Admittedly, I'll have trouble with the first Gym, Oreburgh, but other Pokémon I get on the way can cover that. Afterwards, it should be fairly simple."

"Huh," the blond-haired boy responded, scratching the back of his head and ruffling his already messy bed-head. "You've put a lot more thought into it than I have. I just want Piplup because it looks… uh, dope as fuck? I think that's what Tom said yesterday when he saw it. Something like that? Well, whatever. A Water type will make the first Gym a breeze and even though I'll have trouble with the Gym in Eterna, I can find a Fire or Flying type on the way, I'm sure. I'll figure something out, I guess."

Barry had just finished his explanation when someone knocked on the door.

"We're decent!" the two shouted towards whoever wanted to come in.

Dawn's head popped past the crack in their door, glancing over them, glaring at Barry pointedly. "The two of you were making enough racket to wake the dead! What were you thinking this early in the morning?" she hissed, clearly furious with the duo. After they looked sufficiently ashamed of themselves, she sighed. "Since everyone's up from Barry's shouting, the Professor's ready to let us choose out of the three starters. Get ready and come down-oh, Lucas, you're making breakfast today. See you."

The black-haired young man shook his head, annoyed. "I don't understand how you can _like_ her. Sure, she's pretty and kinda nice, I suppose, but she's so ridiculously bossy. Don't you think so?" he asked, turning towards Barry, who was too busy looking absolutely infatuated with their female companion to notice or care. "Oh. I see."

"Man, isn't she just fantastic? Beautiful, intelligent, independent, and a great battler. I don't know what else I could ask for. I'm gonna really missed her on the Challenge… do you think she'll miss me? Do you think she could like me? Maybe?" he questioned with ridiculous speed and a dreamy look in his eyes.

Sighing in resignation, Lucas left his buddy to his daydreams and threw a simple white shirt on, a pair of jeans, a light jacket, his regular cap, a watch, and his multi-purpose bag. The rest of his clothes were already sealed within very convenient capsules, similar to Poké Balls, along with most of the necessary supplies that he would need for extended trips between towns.

'I can't believe we're about to do this,' he thought to himself, shuddering in anticipation. 'After all this preparation, I can hardly believe it's about to happen. It's been so long since then… I wonder when I see their faces, will they still remember me? Cynthia? Mesprit? The rest of those I intend to crush into dust beneath my boot? Well, I suppose it doesn't matter.' Clenching his fist, he creased his forehead in hatred, imagining himself defeating his enemies utterly. 'I'm going to break them… _all_ of them. All those responsible for the absolute destruction of Twinleaf Town are going to be _mine_,and no one is going to stop me.'

**A/N: Updated quickly, but I doubt I'll do so this fast again. We'll see, I suppose.**

**Feel free to review with criticism, as I'm always looking to improve my writing.**


	3. New Additions

**A/N: Here's the next chapter.**

**If anyone needs this, double quotes mean that a human is speaking. Single quotes either mean a human is thinking or a Pokémon is speaking. Single quotes with italics means that a Pokémon is communicating with someone or something in their mind. Italics are also generally added for emphasis.**

The Poké Ball clicked to signal that its target had been captured successfully. Grinning in delight at this new catch, Lucas tossed Ares, a small and rather docile Chimchar, a cracker to chew on for his good work. Grabbing the ball from the grass, he brushed off the dirt, all the while staring at the Starly confined within. For all of her shenanigans before capture, she was surprisingly calm once inside the Poké Ball. He had heard stories of Pokémon becoming severely claustrophobic while within their balls, to the point where they couldn't stand even going into caves. Hopefully, such a thing wouldn't happen to him.

"Now… what to call you," he muttered to himself. She seemed rather unruffled by his gaze, glaring back in defiance. "Something fitting for you… if I'm going to go along naming my Pokémon after ancient gods and goddesses of distant cultures, I might as well call you Athena, or… Nike. That fits, doesn't it? Nike?" he questioned, releasing his newly caught Pokémon in a bright flash of light. The Starly stared at her new companions with an almost bored look in her eyes. Lucas laughed grimly, patting the bird on its petit head. "You're gonna help me do great things, Goddess of Victory." Fishing into his bag, he released a rather small, but bold, Bidoof who scampered over to the side of Nike while hissing at Ares, the means of his capture.

Lucas frowned at this. "No need to be hostile, here. You two are going to become partners in my endeavor, and neither of you can do that if you don't get along with the strongest Pokémon in this party. Do you understand? Daisy, sweet Arceus, will you stop _hissing_ at Ares?" Growling at the Bidoof's antics, he made eye contact with her. "I told you to _stop!_"

Daisy immediately sat up, staring at her black-haired Trainer with wide eyes. 'Human… stopped me? How? Small bird, how?' she questioned with small barks.

'How would I know? I've been with it for less time than you, whatever you are.' Nike responded, tone as cold as ice.

'The Master can hear all of us… you should know that. He understands our voices and calls us Pokémon, as well. Please, please don't make him mad, or…' Ares intervened, trailing off at the end while glancing at Lucas nervously. 'Master, if I may explain to these two…'

"Of course, Ares. I'll prepare some food for them while you give them a quick rundown of the situation," Lucas responded, patting the Chimchar forward encouragingly before popping open a seal and beginning to prepare a small fire in their clearing. Ares, returning his gaze back to the other two, now rather frightened, Pokémon, attempted to placate them.

'He isn't harsh, the Master, if anything… I would say that you're lucky to be captured by him!' the Chimchar exclaimed. 'Both of you are sure to become valued teammates!'

'How can he _hear_ us?' Nike asked, somewhat surprised at this turn of events. 'I simply don't understand. I've never met a human that could do that.'

'First of all, you should know that my name is Ares, and the humans call my species Chimchar. You are Nike, now, and your species name is Starly. You,' he explained, pointing now to Daisy. 'Are now Daisy, and your species name is Bidoof. It's all rather fascinating, I think-'

'Chimscar using big words… bird, help,' the Bidoof protested desperately.

Ignoring Daisy, Nike glared at the back of Lucas. 'Why haven't you two run away, yet? He can't even see us from over there. All three of us could easily escape and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. In addition, how did he _make_ "Daisy" stop?'

Scratching the back of his head, the Chimchar attempted to explain. 'There are several reasons, I think. The Master spoke about those balls, over there,' he gestured to the red and white balls that they had been contained in. 'He said that they track us, if you understand, and we can't run without being found by others. I think it would be wiser just to stay.'

The Starly frowned, her beak contorting. 'I doubt it, honestly. How would that even work? However… if you do trust in it, "Ares," I suppose it would be better not to test it. How often will we be fed by this human you call "the Master?" Is there anything else I need to know? Oh, and in addition, you haven't answered how he was able to make this Bidoof do something so strange.'

While Daisy was simply looking confused as the two other Pokémon carried on their conversation, Ares was visibly relieved that Nike had elected to stay for now. 'For the first, the Master feeds me at least twice a day, sometimes more. Really, it depends on what he believes we need. As for the latter…' the Chimchar frowned, looking perplexed. 'I'm not sure… it may be something to do with those balls back there, they're called Poké Balls by the way, but he's able to do this with me as well. It improves my technique in battle, being in sync like that. At least, that's what the Master says.'

While Daisy seemed to be placated by the fact that the Starly hadn't bolted yet, Nike was certainly not satisfied by Ares' answer. Without warning, she flapped over to the side of her new Trainer, catching his attention.

'You can understand me and I can understand you clearly. However, you've named us and all this "Ares" has for you is "the Master." Surely there's something else we can call you? I have no desire to show such obvious servitude to my fellow "Pokémon," or whatever you call us.'

Grinning in surprise, the black-haired Trainer lifted the dish he had just heated up to his lips with a small spoon. Satisfied with the taste, he set down the plate and turned to the small bird.

"You may call me Lucas if you so desire, Nike," he responded sternly, his gaze boring into hers unflinchingly. "All of you, come and eat. It's just some dry packaged food for you, but soon enough I'll get the three of you a bit of real meat."

The other two bounded over, with Ares tugging Daisy along and the Bidoof simply complying because she had no clue what else she could do. Stopping before their small plates, Nike and Daisy simply stared at the ugly looking food while Ares dug in. Glancing over, he gestured to their plates.

'Hurry. The Master heated them to make it a bit tastier, but they get cold fast,' he whispered urgently. 'Just _eat _it, alright? It's good for us, he's said. Filled with vitamins, or some other such thing. I didn't really understand it all, but I'm sure it's safe… and, honestly, it's all you're going to get for a while.' Waiting for a response, he sighed before going over and pushing the plates closer. 'Hurry and eat before the Master gets mad, _please_!'

The Starly grimaced. 'Oh… how the mighty have fallen,' she whispered, bending over and beginning to consume the distasteful looking grime. Her expression contorted immediately afterwards in disgust, but she managed to swallow. 'I… I suppose it didn't taste as bad as I thought, but that texture… ugh…'

Ares nodded understandingly. 'I deal with it by swallowing as quickly as possible… oh my.'

Lucas laughed as he watched Daisy consume the disgusting food with a wild abandon he had only seen in Barry during a dinner that Dawn had cooked, the sheer hilarity of it surprising him. "I suppose she's taken a small liking to it, hasn't she?" Turning to Nike and Ares, his expression grew a little more serious. "You could have told me you didn't like the texture, Ares. I'm sure I can do something to fix it with my cooking experience. It won't be anything grand, but probably there's _something_ that I can do to make it a bit more desirable."

The Chimchar lowered his head in shame. 'I'm sorry, Master. I didn't want to burden you with such a small thing. It's nothing, really, and it does taste alright-'

"I don't want to hear that," the black-haired Trainer cut him off. "If any of you need something, I need you to tell me. It'll help us keep in touch, do you understand? Keep us in sync." He said this while looking pointedly at Ares.

The trio nodded, although Nike and Daisy were notably less enthusiastic about the whole affair, with Nike being rather hesitant to trust such a stranger so totally and immediately and Daisy not fully comprehending everything that was going on.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't bolted yet, Nike," he said, smiling warmly at the Starly. "Daisy tried to run away the minute I let her out of her ball. I had to recall her quickly, and I haven't let her out this whole day. Why haven't you?"

The gray and white bird seemed a little perplexed by this herself. 'Under any other circumstances, I think I would… I'm not entirely sure why I haven't. Perhaps this Poké Ball is influencing my conscious thought? I've always considered myself intelligent, even among my own kind. As such, I can't fathom why I haven't already attempted to escape. Although I did discuss the possibility with this "Chimchar," as you call it, he dissuaded me. At this point, I've chosen to simply take my chances. At the very least, it seems that I'll be fed reliably… but I am curious. Exactly what are you going to _do_ with us three? I assume you'll be capturing more of our kind, more "Pokémon," but what do you intend to use us for?'

At this, Lucas frowned. "That answer is rather complicated. The short and simple version is that I mean to use you three and anyone else that I end up catching in battles. You'll be pitted against other, trained Pokémon in matches to the death-"

'The _death?! _Are you _mad?!_' Nike exclaimed, cutting him off. 'You can't be serious, can you? Ares? He must be lying to us.'

The Chimchar simply looked grim. 'What the Master says is the truth. We'll be fighting others of our kind to the death in something called "registered matches" and "Gym Battles." Honestly, I don't understand it all… but if the Master needs me to do something, I will do it to the best of my ability. Besides, as a wild Pokémon, haven't you killed others? Surely Kricketots, at least for sustenance?'

'Of course,' she snapped in return. 'But-'

"Then I don't see the problem," Lucas interrupted her, his gaze boring into her with a sense of gravity that surprised her. "And don't worry. I only intend to use you in battles that you are certain win. Pitting you against something that has an advantage against you would be madness." At this point he grinned in what could only be described as a brief madness. "What, do you doubt your combat abilities?"

'Combat abilities? I'm a _hunter!_ I hunt _insects!_ Those are completely different and you know it!' the Starly squawked. Turning to Ares angrily, she stomped on the ground with talons. 'Have you already participated in something like this? Huh?'

The Chimchar lowered his head, staring at his toes. 'Yes,' he whispered.

The Starly snorted. 'And what happened? Did you tear whatever it was to shreds? Obliterate it?'

"Of course he did," Lucas saved Ares the trouble of answering. "I commanded him to. It was a matter of survival. And it isn't like we challenged this boy. He chose to fight us, overconfident in his abilities to win. As a registered Trainer in the Sinnoh Gym Challenge, I couldn't refuse without serious repercussions. He should count his lucky stars that he wasn't registered as well, or that would've been the end of his life, for all intents and purposes."

Daisy looked back and forth between the three, trying to catch on to the gist of the conversation and failing miserably. Glancing back to her plate, she decided it would be significantly easier to just lick the last of the remains of her meal off of the plate than try to follow something she couldn't understand. She was sure that Nike-something-or-other would take care of it just fine.

'No,' the bird in question shook her head. 'I'm not doing this. It's absolutely crazy. You're going to let me go or I'm going to peck your eyes out, do you understand? I refuse to take part in this.' With a wave of her wing, she took off to a nearby tree. 'Good luck, you two. I hope-'

"You realize that I can't just let you go. If you're found by another Trainer and you're still registered to this Poké Ball," he said, holding Nike's ball in the palm of his hand. "They are fully authorized to eliminate you. No one wants a disobedient Pokémon. Not to mention that if you refuse to come along, I'll be forced to use others, perhaps even less suited than you, to perform the tasks you should be performing. In addition to all of this, I can promise you relative safety and security in that I will never send you into a battle where you don't have a strong advantage. Of course, you will be provided with comfortable lodging and enough food to keep you strong and at the top of your possible performance."

For a moment, the whole clearing was still, Ares poised for a possible attack and Daisy simply watching the movements of the other three.

'I hate you humans,' Nike finally responded. 'Always so clever and manipulating.' Turning to the trio, she huffed. 'Fine. I will assist you in your journey on one condition.'

Smiling amiably, Lucas nodded, giving her permission to continue.

'I want Daisy out of this mess. She's obviously clueless.'

The smile didn't fade as she had expected it to. He simply sat up, recalled Daisy, and put her on his belt. "That can be arranged," he answered. "There's this handy system that I'll be able to access once we reach Jublife City, which is only a mile or so ahead. It'll allow her to stay entirely safe from harm. Unfortunately, for the reasons I've previously stated, I cannot release her, but this should do, no?"

The Starly sighed, flapping back to their position and tapping her head on her Poké Ball, which her black-haired Trainer had set on the ground.

'I suppose that'll have to do… Lucas,' she muttered before disappearing in a bright flash of red light.

The moment she disappeared, the smile faded from the Lucas' face and he turned to Ares. "I want you to search the surrounding area for any wild Pokémon. If you think you can take them, defeat them. The combat experience will be valuable for you. If you don't, return here, and I'll assist you after I've packed up," he commanded. The Chimchar leapt into action, glad to be occupied while racing through the trees. Sighing in relief at the quiet, the black-haired boy began to pack.

'I hope they aren't all this difficult to convince.'

**A/N: So… another quick update. I'm pumping through them right now, it seems. This one had no actual description of the battle with Nike or the battle with the infamous first Youngster, but I half-didn't want to do it and half-figured you guys wouldn't really want to read it. So I didn't write it.**

**Feel free to favorite or review. I can always use criticism on my writing.**

**The current team I had at this point, although I unfortunately never wrote the levels down when I had caught these two, in my party were:**

**A Docile Chimchar, nicknamed Ares because Infernape is just that badass.**

**A Calm Starly, nicknamed Nike because it fits with the whole Goddess of Flying Victory thing.**

**A Bold Bidoof, nicknamed Daisy because nothing else came to mind. Bidoofs are, after all, famous for their derp. Derp = too stronk.**


	4. Oreburgh City

**A/N: Another day, another chapter. There's been a slight time skip, hurrying ahead to the Oreburgh Gym.**

**I probably should've clarified; Barry and Lucas aren't going to have rival battles here. Or at least, not most of them, but more on that later. In addition to this, Lucas is able to speak with Pokémon, yes, but at the advice of Professor Rowan he hasn't told anyone. Neither Barry or Dawn have a clue, and he intends to keep it close secret. I was trying to figure out how to reveal this in the last chapter, but ended up forgetting about it… but now you know!**

Standing outside of the rather dark and decrepit looking Gym, the black-haired boy can't help but shudder. Jublife had been an absolute mess, with garbage lining the streets along with beggars and prostitutes. Cynthia's regime had not been kind to most of the residents within the city, although a select few had certainly profited. Frowning at his shiny blue Pokétch, Lucas adjusted the watch so that it felt more comfortable. It had been gifted to him by some self-important businessman after he had driven off a few strangely dressed goons who were attempting to mug him with Dawn. Lucas didn't even remember the man's name, but he was the perfect picture of success that tyranny could sometimes bring to corporations.

Afterwards, an old fisherman had given him a rather taped up fishing rod which he had used on the nearby sea in Route 218 to land himself a near helpless looking Magikarp that he had hesitantly named Caesar, remembering that that particular species eventually evolved into a fearsome monster. For now, however, he was unsuitable for battle, so Lucas had placed him in the Pokémon Center's free to use PC, along with Daisy. Concurrently, he had caught both a somewhat modest looking Shinx and an extremely young, but admittedly rash and adventurous, Budew. Both had been put in the PC similarly, as Budew was certainly not mature enough to help with the Oreburgh Gym and Shinx wouldn't really be a help, untrained as it was.

After this, however, his luck had seemed to change. As he was passing through the Oreburgh Gate with Nike and Ares, a nearby Geodude had been alerted to his presence. Angered at the disturbance, it had attempted to intimidate both the Trainer and his Pokémon into leaving. It was an easy capture, and Lucas named the boulder-like Pokémon Gaius in honor of his late grandfather, although he had never met him.

Upon arriving at their destination, Lucas was absolutely exhausted from the hike, so his team and him retired at a nearby Pokémon Center, allowing them to rest up. The next morning, Roark, the Gym Leader, and left the Gym to supervise at the mine. To his utter surprise, both Barry and Dawn had left the area with their badges, leaving only a piece of paper with a few notes on Roark's Pokémon and its weaknesses behind for him to use.

After having gotten prepared, he explored the limited area within Route 207 that was available without some sort of vehicle and encountered a Machop who was just as surprised to see him as he was to see it. Of course, it was promptly captured and named Bruce. Finally, after all of this, he ventured into the mines and officially challenged the Oreburgh City Gym Leader to an official match, which the brown-haired young man promptly accepted, granted that he would need a few hours to get everything ready.

It had been a decently sized journey to get from Sandgem to this point, but now that he was here, Lucas couldn't stop shivering from excitement.

'This is it,' he thought, grinning. 'This is the first step that I'll take in getting to you, Cynthia. The first on my path of vengeance… and oh boy, is it gonna be sweet.' Walking forward briefly, the black-haired trainer stood before the doors before announcing his presence. "Gym Leader Roark, I hereby challenge you to a Gym Battle associated with all of the necessary protocols of the Sinnoh League Gym Challenge!"

In response, the double doors opened their gaping maws towards him, inviting him into the darkness.

He accepted this invitation gladly.

Instantly upon walking in, the surrounding lights flashed on, revealing the interior of the Gym to be similar to the bottom of a canyon in the floor's texture. Boulders and small patches of grass covered the whole of the field, although white lines marked clearly where the battlefield began and ended. Standing at the other end of the battlefield was a young boy with a baseball cap on and a simple pair of shorts and a shirt. He raised his hand to his mouth before shouting. "If you want to fight Roark, you're going to have to beat me first! I promise you, it won't be easy!"

Lucas frowned. He hadn't been counting on this, but he supposed that it didn't particularly matter. As a Rock type Gym, their assistant Trainers surely used the exact same type as the Gym Leader. It wouldn't change his current strategy.

Bringing him back to the battle at hand was the grinding roar of a Geodude. The boy had sent out his Pokémon first, allowing Lucas to choose who he wished for the upcoming battle. It was a considerate gesture, but it made him wonder if the assistant Trainer was just that confident that he could win. This question was answered only moments later.

"So, I heard you picked a Chimchar as your starter? You can forget about facing Roark, because I'm gonna wipe the floor with your Fire type! Hurry up and send something out so we can get over with this!" he yelled, impatient for something to happen.

At this, the black-haired Pokémon Trainer growled. No one was going to insult his choice in a starter. No one was going to speak to him like that. Not while he could help it.

"Go, Ares!" he shouted, tossing the Monferno's Poké Ball onto the field. In a flash of white light, the intimidatingly large fiery ape appeared, beating his chest as he faced across from his opponent. Noticing the nature of his enemy, he paused before facing Lucas.

'Are you certain about this, Master? Geodude's are very hardy, and they have a general type advantage to me…' he trailed off, concerned over whether his Trainer was acting out of anger.

Lucas only nodded, a determined glint in his eye. This battle was going to be theirs, one way or another.

"Geodude, use Rock Thr-"

"Not so fast. Ares, knock it out with a Mach Punch," Lucas cut off his opponent calmly, confident in his Pokémon's abilities.

With blinding speed, Ares rushed forward and landed a fearsome right hook to the Geodude's vulnerable face. With a cry, it fell backwards, clutching its eye and mouth while grinding its teeth in rage over the injury. Lifting its palms from its face, the Rock type Pokémon rushed forward, intending to tackle the opposing Monferno. It would've connected, had Ares been there. With the grace of an acrobat, he leapt behind the Geodude before burying his fist into his back, sending it flying across the field, utterly unconscious. It looked back to Lucas for confirmation of the battle's end, but he simply shook his head.

"Finish it. Now," the black-haired Trainer commanded.

Running over the facedown Pokémon, all the while ignoring the cries of the opposing Trainer to their deafened Geodude, Ares brought down both fists in quick succession. When the Geodude still breathed out, he did it again. And again. And again.

After what felt like a ridiculously long time, at least to Lucas, a nearby referee called that the Geodude had deceased. Ares had effectively beaten it into dust.

Wiping the snot from his nose, the young boy glared at Lucas, unfiltered hatred mirrored in his eyes. "You're going to pay for that!" he croaked, his voice sore from screaming at the now dead Geodude for the past few minutes. "Go, Onix! Crush that murderer!"

A massive snake of rock was released in a flash of bright light, facing Ares across the field. The Monferno glanced back once again at his Trainer in disbelief that he was about to fight such a monstrosity. Lucas nearly laughed in euphoria.

"Ares, you're staying in. This is gonna be a repeat performance. Nothing's changed but it's size," he commanded, adrenaline coursing through him and making him a bit light-headed. "Keep it up! Barrage that Onix with Mach Punches until it's nothing more than powder!"

'If you say so, Master," the Monferno replied doubtfully, taking up the same stance as before. The Onix roared in response, drowning out its Trainer's command as it rushed forward, intending to take vengeance for the death of its comrade. With similarly shocking speed, the Ares leapt forward, his fists connecting with the Onix's forehead with a speed that blurred his strikes. Moaning in utter agony, the stone snake fell backwards, attempting to shake off his assailant. Sensing that he wasn't going to be able to keep up this attack, Lucas' Monferno fell from Onix's face, punching the center of one of its many boulders and sending it hurtling over ten feet of the field and into the nearby sand, where it remained, not so much as twitching. Not even bothering to check with his Trainer, Ares made his way over to the beast of a Pokémon carefully, but with reverence as well. He even checked to make sure it was unconscious before beating its brains out.

Within seconds, the Onix was also gone from this world and Ares was back in his Poké Ball, leaving the boy, whose name was Darius, apparently, sobbing in the dirt. With a fresh cry, he beat the ground with his fists. Lucas noticed that the referee looked a tad uncomfortable as he called in the disposal crew.

"It just isn't _fair!_ You weren't supposed to have a _Monferno!_ It was gonna be an easy win! Roark even said so! How come I lost?" he sobbed, grinding his hand into the dust in frustration at his helplessness.

Lucas refused to respond. The boy had lost, and since all assistant Trainers are part of the Challenge, he was to be treated as less than human. Anything else and the black-haired Trainer would be bringing unwanted attention to himself. "Where's the Gym Leader?" he called out, searching the nearby stands for some sign of a person.

"Right here," a composed and kind voice responded from behind him, although it was coming closer. "That was an impressive match, young man," Roark commented, patting Lucas on the shoulder warmly. "It was rather one-sided, I must admit, but I most definitely didn't see the end result coming." Finally noticing the crying child on the other side, the Rock type Gym Leader's smile faded as he moved towards the source. "Give me a moment, and then we can start your battle, alright?" he told the challenger, his tone as cold as ice.

The boy noticed his superior's approach, and his gaze rose to meet Roark's. "Leader, I don't understand-"

"That was fucking _pathetic!_" Roark screamed, his voice echoing off the walls and causing his charge to cringe. "You think you've been allowed as an assistant Trainer to pull crap like that? _Huh?_ He chose a _Chimchar_ for his starter! I thought you had showed potential, Darius, but that just takes the goddamn cake, now, doesn't it?!" Sighing, Roark rubbed his forehead, leaving dust-prints from his gloves. "Hey, you! Yeah, you!" he gestured to one of the disposal crew members assisting with removing the Onix from the battlefield. "Get over here, now! I want you to take this piece of… this piece of utter Cranidos _shit_ out of my Gym! Yes, right now, you idiot!" he screeched, at the dumfounded man.

When the whole battlefield had been cleared, both boy and Onix included, Roark finally turned back towards Lucas, his friendly smile having returned. "Sorry about that. Headache's been bothering me lately. I really need a bit more sun," he chuckled while grabbing three Pokémon from his belt. "Since this is your first Gym, I'll be going a bit easier on you than most of the others will. You'll be facing Pokémon that I feel are suitable to your skill level. In addition to this, I was not able to watch or listen to your battle with one of my ex-assistant Trainers. I have no clue what Pokémon you have in your current party, but I am aware of your choice of a starter. You are allowed to use all of them to their greatest potential in this battle, despite how I am limited to these three. Is that okay with you?"

The black-haired Trainer, shocked at the recent turn of events, simply nodded.

'He's absolutely insane. That amiable façade he puts on around other people… just who _is_ this guy?' he thought to himself, unsure of how to handle what he had just witnessed. 'Of course, it's entirely within the regulations to speak to an ex-Challenger in such a way, you don't verbally abuse people like that…' shaking his head as he drew forth one of his Poké Balls, Lucas creased his brow. 'Although, I suppose Darius can't even truly be considered human anymore. He doesn't have any rights within the laws of the current regime. Citizens can treat him any way they feel like. Some might even applaud Roark's abuse of him. The funny thing is that I'd almost feel bad if Darius hadn't intended to do the exact same thing to me.'

"Hey, are you ready?" Roark called, concern coloring his features.

"Actually," the black-haired Trainer responded, suddenly puzzled. "Just how was Darius an assistant Trainer? He didn't look sixteen to me."

Roark blinked before shrugging. "Cynthia made an exception for him. He showed promise at the time, but that's past." Pulling forth one of his Poké Balls, he tossed it onto the field. "Go, Geodude!"

The boulder-like Pokémon appeared in a flash of light and screeched in challenge to Lucas, who subsequently threw his own ball out onto the rocky battlefield.

"Go, Gaius!" he shouted, releasing a breath he hadn't realized that he had been holding up until that moment.

With a similar sounding screech and a burst of white light, there were suddenly two, near identical looking, Geodudes on the field. Roark's glared daggers at his counterpart, clearly taking this confrontation as some sort of territorial dispute. Gaius merely stared at his opponent, awaiting an order from his Trainer to begin the battle.

"Oh? That's rather bold of you," Roark commented, taking off his cap to ruffle his hair before putting it back on. "Pitting the exact same Pokémon against each other can often make a battle vicious beyond imagination, especially if they've only been lightly trained. They're both going to take this very personally."

"I know that," Lucas responded, stretching his tight shoulders. The excitement was beginning to get to him. "Shall we begin?" At this, both Geodudes tensed, the air thick with apprehension. "Gaius, Mag-"

"Don't let him attack first, Geodude! Use Rock Throw and continue to barrage it with that!" Roark shouted above his challenger's voice, intending to take the initiative. His boulder-like Pokémon responded swiftly, taking a nearby rock and tossing it in the direction of his opponent.

"Forget about it, Gaius, just dodge until you get an opportunity," he amended. Lucas' face felt flushed. He had allowed himself to be countered so easily on his first Gym, and it was boiling his blood.

The Geodude smirked at the oncoming rock before rolling just out of the way. 'Silly human, you think I don't have the mental capacity to dodge such a slow moving-

Immediately, Gaius was cut off by a somewhat larger and faster rock colliding with his face and leaving him very much pissed off.

'Such a slow moving _what_ now, little pebble?' the opponent's Geodude sneered, his voice like the grinding of rocks. 'Arrogance will get you killed, young one. Better to forfeit now.'

'Little pebble? _Little pebble?_ I'm your _size_, boulder-brain!' he shouted in return, pounding on the ground with his massive fists before rolling into a tight ball and rushing towards the Geodude in an all-out tackle. The two collided, sending Roark's across the field.

"Now's your chance, Gaius! Use Magnitude and take it out quickly!" Lucas shouted, realizing just how opportune his Geodude's angry outburst was.

'You must really think I'm brainless, human. Disgusting,' Gaius snorted, grabbing the earth of the battlefield with his powerful hands and shaking it as the opposing Geodude impacted the ground, sending a deep and alarming crack into the air that Gaius took as a sign of success. Rolling over, he proceeded to smash Roark's boulder-like Pokémon into pieces. The Gym Leader made no move to stop it, simply frowning.

"I may have underestimated just how strong your Pokémon are for this match," he conceded, allowing the disposal crew to remove the remains of his Geodude off of the battlefield. "Unfortunately, it's too late to change anything in my roster, so I guess we'll just have to continue as it is. Go, Onix!"

"Gaius, knock it out quickly with a Magnitude!" the black-haired Trainer shouted. His partner seemed to be pretending not to hear him, as he made no action to move. "Are you listening to me?"

'I think I'll play a little bit, first, thank you very much," the Geodude sassed, his chuckling almost like the tinkling of pebbles falling atop one another.

"Onix, use Rock Throw! Take out this Geodude quickly!" Roark commanded sharply. "Another failure is unacceptable!"

The Onix complied immediately, sending chunks of earth and several boulders flying towards Gaius with just the flick of a tail. Grabbing the earth of the battlefield with his rocky hands, the Geodude threw up a wall of ground which collided with the projectiles sent by the Onix, kicking up a notable amount of dust. However, despite the fact that the wall protected Gaius from this barrage, it was quickly coming apart. Noticing this, the rather intelligent Geodude threw it towards the Onix, attempting to distract it as he rolled towards it. Grimacing, Roark realized what was about to occur.

"Onix, forget about using Rock Throw! Hit it with a Screech before you're finished!" the Rock type Gym Leader snapped, his fists clenched in frustration. 'This kid chose a Fire type for his starter for Arceus' sake! It should've been an easy win for one of my caliber!'

The boulder-snake took heed of his call and sent out a screeching sound wave akin to chalk grinding against a chalkboard. Both Trainers immediately were forced to cover their ears to avoid permanent damage to their hearing, but Gaius simply smirked, unaffected as he leapt into the air and, utilizing the momentum provided by falling, proceeded to pound the significantly larger Onix with Rock Smashes until it had stopped moving, a massive fissure running down its face. With a swift Magnitude, the head of the previously magnificent beast was reduced to less than nothing.

As the disposal crew took the Onix's massive body parts of the field and gathered the remaining dust of his skull, Roark shook with rage. "I'm surprised you've pushed me to this extreme," he snarled quietly before regaining his composure and smiling at Lucas. "That Geodude of yours is a natural battler, despite the fact that you seem to be having some trouble controlling it. Did you catch it recently?" the Gym Leader asked innocently.

Noticing the Oreburgh City's Leader barely contained fury, Lucas was hesitant to answer. 'This guy's utterly psychotic,' he thought to himself, staring at this man's dark brown eyes. While he had previously thought them to be warm and welcoming, they only seemed soulless and empty now. "I caught him in the Gate between Jublife and Oreburgh. It was an easy capture. He waltzed right in front of me, attempting to scare me off of his turf, I suppose."

Growling in objection, Gaius turned. 'Would you stop, human? The details are embarrassing. I was, after all, one of my pack's patriarch's…'

Lucas paid him no heed, aware that responding could reveal his rather unique ability.

"Well," Roark hissed, unclipping a separate Poké Ball from one of his original three rather conspicuously, although no one but his black-haired Trainer seemed to notice. "Let's get going, shall we?"

"Uh, Roark, are you-?"

"Go, Cranidos! Crush that Geodude!" Roark shouted, tossing the Poké Ball onto the field and revealing a very powerful and ancient looking Rock type Pokémon.

Cranidos, to Lucas' knowledge, hadn't roamed the wilderness of Sinnoh for nearly 100 million years. They were one of the many ancient Pokémon that had gone extinct in what now was believed to be a violent eruption event concerning both Mt. Stark and Mt. Coronet simultaneously. It has been theorized that this assisted in the forming of the range surrounding Mt. Coronet, but there had never been confirmation of this. For all intents and purposes, Cranidos had been wiped from the face of this earth with only remnants of fossils as their lasting mark. Lucas had heard of limited attempts to revive both Cranidos and Shieldon, a similarly ancient Pokémon, but these had been all but shut down when Cynthia refused to continue funding the research. Roark must've continued the project in secret, but actually reviving a Cranidos was something that the original participants had never believed would actually be a possibility, only a dream.

His lips pursed, Lucas hesitated. "Leader Roark, from what I can see, you just changed your previous roster and sent out an ancient Pokémon that has no legal parameters surrounding its use, making it illegal on the field of battle. If you remove that Pokémon from my Gym Challenge _right this instant_, I won't report you to the authorities in Oreburgh-"

"You think anyone's going to believe you?" Roark questioned, a mad grin covering his features. "I'm the _law_ in Oreburgh. The people in this mining town love me. I'm a hero to them. Who's going to actually take what you have to say seriously when I contradict you? The _authorities_ certainly won't. The disposal crew won't testify against me. The only way that you're going to get out of this messy situation with even a sliver of a chance of a life afterwards is by battling on my terms, _kid._ I make the rules around here, and you're just going to have to accept them. And," he continued, shaking a finger. "I'm even gonna be nice about this. Since I changed up my roster a tiny bit, you can go ahead and make the first move, or even switch if you want. Don't waste this chance."

Lucas simply stared at his opponent. 'Holy shit… this guy's legitimately insane. But out of the rest of my roster… I mean, I have Nike, but she'll be no real help. Ares is still a bit tired from battling earlier, and he isn't warm like Gaius is… perhaps Bruce? No, no I can't do that. Bruce is still too inexperienced. Ugh, what do I know about Cranidos! C'mon, Lucas… c'mon! Think!'

"Are you going to choose sometime soon," Roark called out mockingly. "Please, while we're both still young."

Growling at the Rock type Gym Leader focused back in on his analysis of the new Pokémon. 'Cranidos were known to be unstoppable once they got a charge going, with only Shieldon able to slow them down. He could probably destroy Ares if he gets a hit in… it's too risky to send him out. Gaius is probably the best suited, what with him having the strongest guard of any of my current team…' Shaking himself from his thoughts, the black-haired Trainer adjusted his cap before turning to Gaius, who was simply staring at the Cranidos in confusion. "Gaius, I need you to follow my orders this time, alright? This opponent isn't someone you can beat like the others. We need to be in sync, do you understand?" Lucas asked his rather belligerent Geodude, who nodded reluctantly.

'This isn't going to be a permanent thing, do you understand?' the boulder-like Pokémon responded, cracking his knuckles as he glared daggers towards the cocky looking monster across the field.

"Ugh, you're finally ready? Took you long enough… so long in fact that I think I might just revoke your little 'advantage' to keep things moving," Roark taunted, chuckling to himself. "Cranidos, Headbutt the Geodude and keep it off balance!"

With a speed that could almost rival Ares', the raptor-like Pokémon rushed his opponent, sending Gaius flying before a command could be released.

"Gaius, when you land, attempt to pull off a Magnitude! Cranidos aren't particularly defensive, so just one will probably do it!" Lucas shouted desperately. 'Sweet Arceus, that thing's speed is unreal! And the power behind a simple Headbutt!'

Crying out in a mixture of fury and pain, Lucas' Geodude landed only to be immediately sent back up into the air from a subsequent Headbutt by his opponent. This continued with both Trainers on-looking, Roark amused at the flailing boulder-like Pokémon efforts to counter-attack and Lucas desperately praying that Gaius might get a small reprieve to land his own finishing blow. The Cranidos, however, was too well trained to allow such a thing to happen. It knew exactly what it was doing as it landed blow after blow, keeping the Geodude in the air so that it couldn't come in contact with the ground.

"Gaius!" Lucas finally shouted, becoming seriously concerned over where the match was going. "Forget about attempting to use Magnitude! Roll up into a ball and get away from that Cranidos! Wait for my command before doing anything afterwards, do you understand!"

'Crystal, urk, clear!' Gaius responded after a particularly powerful Headbutt. The Rock and Ground type Pokémon tucked its arms into its body and rolled away the moment it hit the ground, leaving the Cranidos attacking dust. With a screech of rage, it ran after the Geodude, keeping pace.

"You think you can just get away like that?" Roark snorted, his hands on his hips. "Cranidos, use Pursuit to stop it cold!"

The raptor-like Rock type suddenly leapt forward, its small arm glowing white. Seeing his opportunity, Lucas grinned.

"Twist 180 degrees and use Rock Smash!" the black-haired Trainer shouted to his charge, who responded in kind.

With a turn of such grace and swiftness that it surprised Roark, the Cranidos, and even Lucas, Gaius smashed his glowing hand into the head of his opponent, breaking his pursuit of the Geodude and sending it tumbling into the dirt. Gaius fell down at this point, braking himself with his now unfurled hands. With a long crack running from his forehead to his left arm, Gaius pierced the ground with his hands and began to shake it violently, deeply damaging the Cranidos and further keeping it off-balance. Grabbing a nearby boulder, the Geodude heaved it, fueled by his pain and hatred of the beast, at his opponent, where it connected with a solid crack. The whole arena was silent, Lucas in anticipation and Roark in utter horror at what had befallen his dear Cranidos. Rolling over to the now motionless creature, Gaius Rock Smashed its head one final time, splitting it open completely and sending its fragile internal organs into the dust.

Lucas grinned as the disposal crew hastily grabbed all remains of the Cranidos and removed it from the area. "Guess I beat you on your terms as well, huh, Roark? So," he mocked, rubbing his hands together after having recalled his Geodude. "Where's my badge, huh?"

Still staring in disbelief at the spot where his beloved creation had died, Roark barely took notice of his successful challenger's taunts. "You… you killed him?" he muttered to himself before a deep frown set in. Looking back up, Lucas could see that he was absolutely furious. "I'll meet you in the back for you badge and a spare Technical Machine that we, as Gym Leaders, are required to give out to successful challengers. I thank you," he growled, bowing. "For the _wonderful_ battle. I wish you luck on your journey, Lucas." Turning on his heel, the unstable Gym Leader headed to his office while Lucas walked outside and around the massive Gym, heading towards the service door in the very back.

'He could try something, but what with the "Mind Watch" up and everything, I doubt he will. I did win, after all… but then again, why would he have threatened me earlier if he knew for a fact that he was being watched? Surely whoever is administering the "Watch" would realize something was amiss and intervene… or is he truly untouchable by the law?' Lucas questioned himself as he walked along. Fingering his Poké Balls nervously, he turned the final corner towards the service door. 'More than that, what's alarming is that he's asked me to come here, to the secluded back of the Gym… what was I even thinking, agreeing to this?' Lucas chided himself, one hand now on the Poké Balls on his belt. 'There's no going back now… if he tries something, I'm sure that Ares and Nike will be able to defend me if I release them fast enough… right?'

His racing thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of Roark through the service door. The Oreburgh Gym Leader had seemed to have regained his composure. "Sorry about all that, earlier," he said, chuckling while rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "That was my bad. It was just that Cranidos had taken a long time to revive, so I got a little more attached than a Gym Leader should have. You understand, right?" he asked, holding out both a TM and the Coal Badge, both of which caused Lucas to sigh in relief. "That right there," he said brightly, gesturing to the Technical Machine. "Is the TM Stealth Rocks, which will set up an entry hazard every time your opponent attempts to switch out. Right now, it may not be particularly useful, but it's my favorite move, to be honest. This, however," he continued, pointing to the Coal Badge. "Is your first Badge. Some people say they have supernatural qualities, like raising your Pokémon's defensive abilities, but that's just bologna, I assure you," he commented, laughing at the foolishness of others. "Congratulations on your first Gym Badge!"

Lucas eagerly took the two items and stuffed them into his pack. "Thank you, Roark. I really do appreciate-"

The black-haired Trainer was cut off by the sight of a gun shoved in his face.

**A/N: I'm going to stop there before this gets ridiculously long. The next chapter will be coming soon. Please review the battle scene, at least, as I'd love some feedback in that respect. I have very little experience with them.**

**I moved the first Galactic fight from after the Oreburgh Gym to before it on a whim.**

**In addition, despite the fact that I attempted to dramatize this Gym Battle and make it more interesting, it was really a rofl stomp. Roark is laughably easy if you manage to get a Geodude or Machop. Magnitude OHKOs were everywhere. **

**The catches since last chapter and here are:**

**A Sassy Geodude, nicknamed Gaius because Gaius is my favorite character from Fire Emblem: Awakening… and it felt like it fit.**

**A Modest Shinx, nicknamed Marly for some reason. Boxed immediately because it has Rivalry. Ugh… Rivalry. Why? :'(**

**A Rash Budew, nicknamed Rosa because it was the obvious thing to nickname it. Boxed as well, if only because I felt it was too dangerous to use her. Geodude is much more bulky.**

**A Careful Machop, nicknamed Bruce… I'm sure I don't have to tell you guys the reason for this one. Boxed because I had a Monferno… and Monferno is too stronk.**


	5. Floaroma Town

**A/N: Not much to say. Just another quick update. This will have a small timeskip from the last chapter, jumping ahead a town or two, but all will be explained.**

Lucas lowered himself onto the flowers on the bright hill in the very center of Floaroma Town, a place known for its beautiful blooms. A rather large Monferno bounded over, a grin displayed on his face as he raced against a significantly slower Grotle who looked absolutely furious at his lack of success against a lifelong rival. Ares peered over his shoulder, laughing loudly at the clumsy movements of his much bulkier counterpart. Nike clucked from next to Lucas, her beak formed into a small frown as she cleaned the brambles from Annie, a newly caught Buizel's, fur, who had leapt into a rosebush in pursuit of Nix, Lucas' good-humored and jolly Zubat.

'My team's grown since then,' the black-haired Trainer reflected with a small smile before beginning to recall the events at Oreburgh with a small shudder, noticed with concern by the Staravia to his right.

* * *

Lucas glanced from the tip of the gleaming barrel back to the face of Roark. The two were surrounded by concrete walls, as an alley had led from the side of the Gym to the very back. Lucas, too preoccupied in his own musings to notice this, hadn't realized until now just how perfect this spot would be. Absolutely no witnesses whatsoever within the area. Of course, he should've been able to tell from the Oreburgh Gym Leader's previously psychotic behavior that there was no way he was going to let him go for the humiliation that he had endured, and yet…

"I… Roark, I don't understand," Lucas sputtered, having just put away both the badge and TM. "Why are you doing this? People beat you regularly, don't they?"

The previously cheery miner was all business now, his features set in a deep scowl. "Do you know how long it's been since someone has chosen Chimchar and beaten me? How many straight battles I've annihilated their teams with just my Geodude?" he questioned stonily, straightening the drooping pistol. "Guess, and don't you dare try to draw attention by screaming. I won't hesitate to shoot," he commanded, his gaze empty of all empathy.

"U-uh," the black-haired Trainer stammered, his mind racing for some solution that didn't involve him bleeding out in the dirt. "Fifty battles? Sixty?" he guessed desperately. 'How could I have been so _stupid_ to come back here with an absolute madman?!' be berated himself.

Roark's face contorted into what Lucas was guessing was supposed to be a smile. "Not quite, _Lucas Averoigne_. A bit more like 279 straight wins against Chimchar choosers in the last two years. I have a bit of a reputation in the League, although it's kept secret from non-League members, of course, to remove some of the bias in choosing starters, as an executioner of those Trainers foolish enough to believe that they can overcome their Pokémon's inherent weakness to the superior might of the Rock types. If you had used a Piplup or Turtwig in our fight, I would've let you go with a pat on the back. I still would, as you're an admittedly excellent battler, except for the fact that I can't let my streak end now. I hope you understand. It'd ruin my rep."

Lucas began to tremble in horror of what was about to occur. "This can't be happening…" he muttered to himself. "Not when I just started-"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's happening and it's happened to many Trainers before you. Be glad," he responded, voice steady while walking closer in a slow and purposeful manner. "At the very least, you can die with the satisfaction of knowing that you utterly wiped me. I may have to kill the disposal crew as well, if only to keep rumors from-_argh!_" he screeched, clutching his head and dropping the gun. Roark's hard hat fell to the ground with a small crack as he violently grabbed his skull, bent over from the sheer agony of whatever ailed him.

Despite still being in a slight stupor, Lucas had the sense to seize this opportunity, grabbing the small pistol that the Gym Leader had dropped and pointing it towards his previous assailant, who at this point was squirming in the fresh mud of a recent rain, his mouth frothing like a rabid animal. The disgusted challenger took a step back, and then another, unable to comprehend exactly what was taking place in front of him.

"Not now, please…" gurgled the pathetic looking man that had just seconds ago been threatening the life of a boy a good five years his junior. "Please, _please_…" he trailed off before screaming in a mixture of anger, frustration, and extreme pain. Lunging forward towards Lucas, the Gym Leader gripped his ankles, looking up towards the boy in desperation. "_Help me!_" he screeched, his previously stony expression replaced by one of absolute need for release.

Absolutely incredulous, Lucas only stared at the pitiful being that Roark had transformed to in merely a few moments before hardening his resolve and raising the gun towards the Gym Leader's head. Tensing up, the black-haired boy prepared to end the life of his assailant. "Go to hell," he whispered fiercely, tears streaming down his cheeks in a sudden outbreak of moisture either emerging from the extreme stress of the situation or the adrenaline pumping through his system. Near immediately, Lucas felt a small voice in the back of his head admonish him.

'_Drop the gun, challenger. Ace Trainers are already on their way. We detected this man's murderous intentions and are about to arrive on the scene. Firing that pistol will implicate you in ways that all of us would rather avoid,' _it commanded. After a brief moment of hesitation, Lucas followed its command, letting the petit firearm slip from his grasp as he wiped away the stream of liquid marking his face. '_Good,'_ it responded. _'We thank you for your cooperation, challenger. Please stay on the scene until our officers have arrived.'_

Lucas took a step back, his whole body trembling. Who would've known that "Ace Trainers," acclaimed for their cruelty and the abuse of their power, would be the ones to come to his rescue? He had never felt more pathetic than he did now, attempting to stop the never-ending flow of snot from his nose and stem the flood of tears cascading from his irritated ducts.

'I swear to Arceus,' he screamed within the confines of his own mind. 'I won't ever let myself be this powerless again… _never _again!' Subsequently, he collapsed into a sobbing mess in front of the man who had once been a Gym Leader but was now nothing more than a criminal that had barely failed in taking Lucas' life. The "Ace Trainers" found the two this way, with Lucas almost comatose and Roark spasming on the ground, his saliva surrounding him and eyes unblinking.

* * *

Sitting back up and picking at the grass, the traumatized boy frowned. 'I've sworn a lot of things. That I'd avenge my mother and the rest of Twinleaf by erasing Cynthia from existence. That I'd make the lake spirits pay for their inaction. That I'd take care of Barry ever since the disappearance of Palmer, his Uncle Cole, and the death of his own mother. Can I really keep all of these? And if I ever get thrust into a life-or-death situation like in Oreburgh again, will I be ready to act? So many questions, and yet, so few answers…'

It had later been explained to Lucas that this was just one example why the "Mind Watch" put into effect was so helpful in catching those who would do harm to others. They had, apparently, been trying to pin things on Roark for a while, but he had arranged for a nearby Trainer with a Kadabra to block the signal normally used to watch his thoughts, and as such, had been able to keep many of his heinous acts under wraps. In addition to Lucas, there had been at least four others who had suffered similar fates under the former Rock type Gym Leader. His crimes were so numerous besides these that the "Ace Trainers," after sending Lucas away, had immediately executed him.

The black-haired boy had pondered exactly why these "officers of the law" had remained inactive until then if they knew for a fact that Roark had killed at least four other Trainers on the Challenge who had beaten him, whom he assumed had also picked Chimchars, as well as numerous other "heinous crimes," but he drew a blank and shrugged it off. Whatever the reason, they had intervened and saved his life with some sort of Psychic Pokémon of their own, sending the former Gym Leader into a massive fit, so how could he have ever criticized their impeccable timing in stopping the murderer?

A shadow falling on him and blocking out the admittedly very warm sunshine snapped him from his musings, causing him to look back, his entire body ready to spring into action only to relax upon realizing just who it was that was recalling their own Grotle, a look of surprise coloring her features.

"I didn't know you were in Floaroma, Lucas!" Dawn exclaimed, brushing back her rather messy black hair. "I just saw Brutus sniffing the air and all of the sudden bolt back towards the Pokémon Center. I had no clue what he was trying to do, but I suppose it would make sense that he would greet Ares in such a way. Do you remember," she giggled, sitting down next to her male companion. "When the two of them first got to the lab? He saw Ares and I'm sure he just thought to himself 'I've gotta beat that Chimchar,' or something like that. I thought their little rivalry was so cute at the time."

'She's actually pretty close in that respect. That's almost exactly what he shouted out the first time they were brought together,' Lucas acknowledged. "Yeah, I got here after I beat Roark back in Oreburgh. Decided I would rest for a bit and catch a few more Pokémon. What are you doing in Floaroma Town, Dawn? I would've thought both Barry and you would've arrived in Eterna by now."

At this, the female Trainer sighed. "I don't know what's up with him. First, he demands we both wait here for you to show up so that we could make sure you were alright. The two of us took up a room each in the Pokémon Center here, which were remarkably shabby, by the way, and could definitely use a good cleaning, but the next morning? He had vanished, leaving only a note saying that he couldn't sleep and had taken off to get to Eterna City." Dawn shrugged, adjusting her beanie. "Would've been nice if he had at least waited for me to get up, or even knocked to let me know he was heading out."

Lucas pursed his lips. "That's just Barry, for you, though. I would've thought you'd be used to it, what with how he spends nearly every minute he can with you," the boy replied, a touch cold. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Dawn seemed shocked by his response. Her surprise pleased him, although he was a bit startled by his response himself.

"What… what is that supposed to mean?" she questioned, attempting to ignore the rudeness that permeated her friend's comment. "I don't know what you're talking about, Lucas. Barry-"

"Just forget about it," he cut her off, suddenly angry and leaving them in an awkward silence that was occasionally interrupted by squeals from Annie the Buizel as she was being picked clean of brambles by a collected and calm Nike. Flitting over to the top of his head, Nix bit into the fabric of his cap, attempting to get a rile out of his rather sullen Trainer. The bat-like Pokémon succeeded, and with a small curse, Lucas was up trying to catch his charge. Nix, cackling that he had been annoyed so easily, flew just out of his reach, cap securely in her mouth. The two scampered about, Lucas swiping at air constantly while ruffling his own hair to make it presentable.

Dawn grinned at the sight, if only because it reminded her of Lucas before the destruction of Twinleaf. The playful child that went out of his way to be kind to others and include them into whatever he was doing had faded with along with the town and his mother. He had become introverted and, admittedly, rather unstable. Picking fights in the middle of class in Sandgem over the littlest things, going from calm to utterly furious in mere seconds without any sort of reason, and even breaking down into a complete wreck every anniversary of the day that ruined his life. It was her own personal opinion, though she kept it to herself, that without Barry, Lucas would've exploded in a fit of rage by now and killed someone. The brotherhood they shared was like nothing she had ever seen, and it went beyond simply being friends who shared a part in a tragedy. She was the same, in that way, but the two of them were almost like flip sides of a coin. Two parts of a whole, neither of which would be complete without the other. It was a remarkable thing.

Seeing her smile, Lucas couldn't help but return it. "You got the Coal Badge without too much trouble?" she asked as he finally snatched his hat from the jaws of his playful Zubat.

"Yeah… I guess," he responded after a bit, his momentary smile fading and his eyes shifting away from Dawn's pretty face. "Things ended up alright in the end. It was a good battle."

"That's good to hear," she replied, stretching her arms. "Nearly lost Brutus in it. That Larvitar's a lot sturdier than it looks, huh?" she joked.

Lucas was saved the trouble of having to lie once more by a small girl who was sprinting up their hill, her face marked with tears.

"You two," she breathed, clearly winded by the hike. "You guys are Trainers, right?"

"Yes, we are. Is there anything we can do?" Dawn comforted the child with a warm smile before Lucas could respond.

"I-it's my Daddy," she sobbed. "They've got him in the Windworks down the road and they won't let me see him or give him his lunch!"

"Who took your father? Do you know their names?" Lucas questioned quickly while gathering all of his Pokémon into their respective balls, interest piqued at this young girl's dilemma.

"T-they call themselves… uh, Team Galactic?"

**A/N: And there we go! The Galactics make a comeback! **

**New additions are as follows:**

**A Naïve Buizel, nicknamed Annie just for lolz. Boxed for now.**

**A Jolly Zubat, nicknamed Nix because of its meaning. I believe it's Latin or Greek for darkness? Something like that. Also boxed for now.**


	6. Valley Windworks

**A/N: Like every chapter, there's a brief timeskip to a more important part of the story. I stopped disclaiming, because who's got time for that on a fanfiction site?**

**Enjoy.**

The older man clad in a black and white jumpsuit stared in horror as his admittedly weak partner, a malnourished Glameow, fell to the ground, crushed to bits by the mighty paws of a young Monferno. Lucas smiled, recalling Ares and advancing past the grieving thug. He held no sympathy for the bunch, especially after seeing them attempt to rob a man who just happened to have some honey to sell. From what he could tell, the group that labelled themselves "Team Galactic" were a bunch of criminals who had banded together and were attempting to legitimatize their actions in the name of a greater cause. Lucas refused to be fooled by such obvious ploys, and Dawn had followed suit in this attitude.

"Dawn!" the black-haired Trainer shouted over the whirring of machines. "Take care of those two. I'll get the kid's dad."

His female companion grunted in response, her attention focused on battling two of the Galactic members at once. The two had barged into the Valley Windworks intent upon taking the father of the young girl, who had approached them nearly a day ago for help, back with them, applying force if necessary. However, it was a huge surprise to the two of them that the group was actively utilizing Pokémon in their activities, especially considering the fact that there was no way any of them had had formal schooling with Pokémon, if only because of their poor battling technique. Despite the thugs best efforts, both Lucas and Dawn had brushed them off, able to easily exploit their incompetence. Even so, a somewhat skilled bunch of them had awaited for the duos arrival at the very back of the Valley Windworks, the area where they had assumed the girl's father was being kept, and given them a bit of trouble, especially when two of them attempted to take on Dawn at once.

Shaking himself from his musings, the triumphant young man turns a corner into a small compartment inhabited by a woman with shocking red hair and an elderly man in a lab coat who reeked of sweat. The woman, also clad in one of the ridiculous jumpsuits that was becoming a representation of Team Galactic, locked her similarly striking crimson eyes on the intruder who had, from the sound of it, been trumping her fellow members. She was, in short, beautiful, but Lucas could only focus upon the exhausted looking black-haired scientist who had taken a moment to peer up from his work and examine the scene in front of him. The man was ragged, utterly spent. His glasses drooped forward, and he looked to be on the edge of collapse. The black-haired Trainer was filled with a mixture of loathing for the woman before him who had forced this young girl's father into laboring for at least two days without rest and respect to the man for trying to protect his family from a group of criminals in the only way he knew; through compliance.

"Hey… hey!" the crimson-haired lady barked, bringing his attention back to the situation at hand. "Just exactly," she began, a scowl besetting her pretty features as she reached for two Poké Balls lying on a desk behind her. "Do you think you're doing here? Kids like you have no business interfering with our affairs. Get out, now, before I lose my temper and take dangerous measures."

Lucas scoffed, summoning forth Nike, Gaius, and Ares all at once, the trio screeching upon being released and focusing their gaze upon the threatening figure before them. "Just exactly," he began, mirroring her expression from earlier. "Do you think you're doing taking a young girl's father and locking him up in here for three days straight? Release him, now, before I lose my temper and take dangerous measures."

"Brat," she muttered, releasing a Zubat and rather intimidating Purugly, the latter of which began to hiss as the tail surrounding its body squeezed, increasing its bulk. "I, Commander Mars of Team Galactic, will make you eat those words! Zubat! Purugly! Gemini Formation!" she screeched, her right hand flying forward in a fist.

Her Pokémon took off immediately with surprising agility, the Zubat latching onto Ares shoulder, beginning the process of leeching the sap of his lifeforce, and the Purugly leaping towards Nike, its head pummeling the Staravia's chest and sending it flying into a nearby wall. Shocked into inaction, Lucas' Geodude only watched as two separate struggles took place on either side of him, his companion Monferno desperately attempting to shake off the parasitical bat-like Pokémon and his partner Staravia just trying to gather her bearings under the furious assault of the Purugly. Shaking himself, Gaius rolled forward, his fist glowing in white energy, as he prepared to assist Nike in her struggle. Without missing a beat, the massive cat-like Pokémon lifted a hind leg and smashed it into the Geodude's face, sending him crashing into several nearby machines.

It was at this time that Ares was finally able to grasp the irritating Zubat within his comparatively massive paw, its mouth secured around his neck. With a grunt and a quick squeeze, the bat-like Pokémon was nothing more than a crumpled mess, its victim's blood seeping from its petit stomach. Swiftly turning, only slightly dizzy from the minor blood-loss caused by the parasite, the Monferno raised his fists into an offensive stance before leaping towards the rampaging Normal type who was wrecking his companion. With a cry mixed with fury and defiance, he leapt forward, his right fist glowing as it sped through the air towards its opponent.

The Purugly, having heard its enemy's instinctive cry, flipped to the left, leaving the incoming Fire and Fighting type to slam its fist into a nearby wall, sending cracks running along the paint as it shrieked in pain. Not wasting any time, the cat-like Pokémon clawed at the Monferno with its claws in rapid succession, sending the beast tumbling backwards and clutching its muzzle, moaning in agony all the while. Sufficiently satisfied, the smug Purugly turned back to its mortally injured quarry, the frantically squawking Nike that had, at this point, curled up into a defensive ball, her remaining wing desperately attempting to cover her nearly removed beak. Plunging her claws into the dying bird, the Purugly purred in a mash of adrenaline and sick sadism at the injuries it had caused. With one final rip, she removed the Pokémon's heart, the small organ covered in a significant amount of gore. It beat one final time before quieting itself, the crimson sap of life dripping from arteries and veins connected to it.

At the final shriek of his Staravia, Lucas looked up from Gaius, a look of utter horror coloring his features. Distracted from the carnage of the battle, he had been assisting in clearing the wrecked machines that had toppled onto the boulder-like Pokémon, stunned from the Purugly's brief and violent assault and unable to move. With a roar of primordial anger, the black-haired Trainer threw the now recovered Geodude towards the cause of his fury. Ares, his mouth covered in streaks of blood, eyes blazing with hurt and a wild desire for vengeance, advanced forward with his comrade, lifting his fists once again. Upon noticing the mauled corpse of Nike, he bared his teeth, breathing heavily.

'You _monster!_' he screamed, pounding the ground with his fists in frustration as he glared daggers at the opposing cat-like Pokémon. 'What did you _do_ to her!? Bring her _back!'_

'Calm down, young'un,' Gaius rebuked harshly, his gravelly voice layered with shame. 'There's no time to be mourning her. She's… she's long gone-'

'That _can't_ be true, do you understand! Master, tell him it _can't_ be-'

"Shut _up!_" he screeched, his fists clenched and eyes wild. The upset Monferno quieted immediately, his eyes tearing up while Gaius began to engage the Purugly with much more caution than previously. "The two of you are gonna tear that piece of _shit_ to pieces, and you're gonna do it _now_!"

Both Mars and Ares blinked, the former watching as her Purugly ran circles around Gaius, although she was admittedly doing very little damage to the rock-hard Pokémon. While the kid had struck her as equal parts brave and foolish, he certainly hadn't seemed absolutely crazy. The kind of blood-thirst emanating from him was almost overwhelming in its pure intensity. She had come to terms with the fact that no Pokémon was going to live forever, even her prized Purugly, and many other trainers had been forced to do the same. Becoming so enraged over an expected death was simply stupid, and she had hardly done the same when she had lost that measly Zubat. There was nothing good to come of such behavior, at least in her own mind. Briefly, she glanced over to the progress bar on the kidnapped scientist's laptop. They were almost done here, and then her lackeys and she could leave. She need only stall him for a few more moments.

Upon turning back, the Galactic Commander was shocked to find that the Monferno that had previously been having what looked like a small tantrum was pressuring her most able Pokémon, sending it prancing around the room as it desperately attempted to dodge Mach Punches fueled by a powerful rage, partially coming from within Ares himself and partially having been transferred from Lucas' own fury at the situation. With one final leap, the Monferno faked out his opponent, causing the Purugly to jump straight into his attack. The cat-like Pokémon flew into a nearby wall, sending a small crack through the plaster as it made impact. With a groan, it barely dodged a follow-up attack from the Fire and Fighting-type, sending the Mach Punch into the wall where it had been only moments before. Ares shrieked, eyes blazing, as he shook his hand, attempting to alleviate the pained extremity.

The Normal-type, seeing its opportunity, stood on its shaky legs and walked in the direction of its Trainer, mewling pitifully, before being intercepted by Gaius. With a swinging Rock Smash fueled by the momentum of his movement, the Rock and Ground-type made contact, slamming the Purugly between his fist and the earth. Another glowing fist followed, and then another. The cat-like Pokémon cried out in agony, its voice shaking with each hit, before being withdrawn with a slim beam of red light, a potentially fatal blow missing it and hitting the cracking tiles beneath it.

Lucas, Gaius, and Ares simply stared at the spot where the offending Purugly had once been, its blood lathering both the Geodude's hands and the tiles beneath them. The Pokémon looked at their black-haired Trainer, then to the rapidly retreating Mars, and then back to Lucas before taking off after the woman, who was now cradling both the cat-like Pokémon's Poké Ball and a black briefcase as she, followed by her colleagues, streamed out of the Valley Windworks building.

Sprinting after his Pokémon, Lucas blew past a puzzled Dawn, who had only seconds before finished wiping the floor with her opponents. Slamming the Windworks' door wide open, he scanned the landscape, his Pokémon just a few feet away doing the same. With a shriek of frustration, the distraught Trainer punched the wall of the nearby building until his fists bled, his partners only watching as he abused the inanimate and unfeeling object. Breathing heavily, Lucas didn't even blink when he heard Dawn scream as she came upon the corpse of Nike.

* * *

"Ew, Daddy… you smell! Take a shower!" the little girl yelled in delight, playfully pinching her nose and waving a hand in front of it as if she had just smelled something foul. Her father chuckled, picking her up in his arms and giving her a warm hug before turning to the two somber Trainers who had escorted him back to Floroama Town and to the safety of his home.

"Thank you, both of you," he said, removing his glasses to wipe his somewhat tearful eyes. "That 'Team Galactic' group had me slaving away in there for over two full days. I was getting afraid they'd never let me leave… but I am sorry for your Staravia. No one should have to go through that…" the scientist sighed, adjusting his grip on his daughter.

"There's nothing for it," Dawn replied neutrally, her tone dismissive.

Lucas said nothing, head bowed.

Sensing that the situation had grown rather awkward, the exhausted father nodded to the two of them in good-bye before hefting his giggling daughter onto his shoulders and heading inside of the humble abode that he called home. Dawn whirled to Lucas, grabbing his wrist as she led the mute Trainer towards the Pokémon Center. As they got closer, the black-haired boy finally spoke up.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice like lead.

His female companion turned back to him, looking almost furious as she slapped him.

"Get ahold of yourself!" she yelled, her brow furrowed in anger as Lucas stumbled backwards, clutching his cheek in shock. "That may have been the first death you've had, but it certainly won't be the last! You took on the Challenge knowing the risks, Lucas. Grow up and take responsibility for what happened!" Calming herself, she held the boy's gaze. "Learn from it and be more careful next time. That's all you can do." Glancing over to the Pokémon Center, she sighed. "Come on… we'll bury Nike-"

"Bury her? _Bury her_?!" he screeched, eyes wild and fists clenched. "What the _fuck_ are you talking about, you _bitch!?_"

Dawn blinked, her anger returning over her friend's actions. "What the-"

Lucas cut her off once more, slamming into her face with a punch fueled in equal parts by desperation and madness before storming off into the darkness, body hunched in despair.

Dawn rubbed her check, a bruise already beginning to form as she stared unbelievingly at her unstable companion. Falling to her knees, she buried her hands in her face before beginning to cry.

**A/N: This took a lot longer than it should have, and it has a lot less content than I already planned. However, that's just how things go. **

**Lucas is beginning to go off the deep-end, Mars got beat badly and ran with her tail between her legs, and the Valley Windworks is finished.**

**As for the death of Nike… I actually don't remember how it really occurred. All I can recall is that the Purugly did the deed with consecutive crits. My first death, and I cri everitime just thinking about it… but then again, she did have a crap nature, so… :/**


End file.
